Composition,article, its manufacture and use

Title: Composition,article, its manufacture and use.Abstract: A composition comprising a polymer which contains hydroxyl groups, the composition being suitable as a coating for an IR-imagable lithographic precursor, the composition comprising one or more agent(s) which: a) absorbs IR radiation of wavelength greater than 800 nm and consequently generates heat; b) functions as an insolubiliser which inhibits dissolution of non-imaged regions of the coating in a developer but permits dissolution of imaged regions during development; and c) improves the inhibition to dissolution of the non-imaged regions and/or the dissolution of the imaged regions so as to improve the dissolution contrast ratio (DCR) of the non-imaged/imaged regions; wherein the agent which performs function c) comprises a moiety which has hydrophobic and ionic character. Such a composition can show excellent selectivity as regards dissolution rates in developer, as between the imaged and non-imaged areas, whilst the energy needed to achieve this differentiation (or “operating speed”) is not comprised. ...

The present invention relates to an imagable composition, to a lithographic printing form precursor (which means herein an unimaged printing form, bearing a to-be-imaged coating over one face), to its manufacture and to its use in making a printing form (which means herein a printing form with a ready-to print coating which denotes—either in a positive or negative form—the image to be printed). A printing form herein commonly means a printing plate or an alternative printing surface.

The invention seeks to improve lithographic printing form precursors, especially positive working lithographic printing form precursors. Such precursors have developer soluble polymeric coatings. In conventional positive working lithographic printing form precursors having as coating alkali soluble polymers, for example novolac resins, and naphthoquinone diazides (NQD) moieties, regions of the coating unexposed to ultra-violet (UV), radiation have a very low dissolution rate in conventional alkaline developing fluids, because NQD is a strong dissolution inhibitor. This means that it inhibits—prevents or retards—the dissolution of the coating in such developing fluids. The exposed areas of the coating may undergo a number, of chemical and physical changes (which may include any or all of volume, polarity, conformation, chemical structure, heat of reaction, hydrogen bonding, and hydrolysis) which may bring about a dramatic change in their dissolution rate in the alkali developer. The process provides huge processing contrast between exposed and unexposed regions, typically greater than 100:1 for a given exposure energy and development conditions.

In many thermal systems (for example Thermal Computer-to-Plate (CTP) positive systems), the only changes taking place during exposure are those caused by the heat supplied (typically by IR lasers acting on IR absorbers in the coatings). The heat causes physical changes to the tertiary structure; for example causing disruption of the hydrogen bonded structure. This results in a lower processing contrast as between exposed and unexposed regions, typically 10-20:1 for a given exposure energy and development conditions. In order to achieve commercially viable positive working printing form precursors the rate of dissolution of exposed regions of coating in the developer has to be fairly high and the processing contrast should desirably be high. Sufficient coating must remain for printing after development, and excess coating dissolution shortens the life of processing chemicals dramatically. This necessitates the application of higher exposure levels to supply energy to break down the developer resistant coating. This limits productivity for the printer. An object, then, is the use of lower exposure levels to achieve comparable developer resistance; or better developer resistance for the same exposure energy.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,664 describes an energy activatable salt which comprises a cation (as defined) and an anion, which may be a bis- or tris-(highly fluorinated alkylsulfonyl)methide or a bis- or tris-(fluorinated arylsulfonyl)methide. Imaging is by e-beam, or UV or visible radiation (about 200 nm to 800 nm).

U.S. Pat. No. 6,358,665 describes radiation sensitive compositions comprising a hydroxystyrene resin and an onium salt precursor which generates a fluorinated alkanesulfonic acid as a photoacid generator. The photoacid generator is a sulfonium or iodonium salt of a fluorinated alkane sulfonic acid; the anion being CF3CHFCF2SO3− or CF3CF2CF2CF2SO3−. Imaging may use metal halide lamps, carbon arc lamps, xenon lamps and mercury vapour lamps.

GB 1245924 discloses the image-wise application of heat to coatings of phenolic resins, and of many other polymers, to increase the solubility of the coatings in the exposed areas compared with the unexposed areas. However, whilst NQDs and other inhibitors which reduce the solubility of the coatings to developing fluids are described a high amount of exposure energy is required to render the exposed areas soluble.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,925 describes the use of onium salts to impart solvent resistance to a phenolic resin. The onium salts inhibit the dissolution of a coating of the phenolic resin in a developer. However once exposed to infra-red radiation this inhibiting effect is lost. In this case, the release of acids on exposure by utilising proto-acidic anions (i.e. latent Bronsted acids) to the onium cation assists in making the exposed regions of the coating more developer soluble for the same amount of exposure energy. This technology can also be utilised for a negative plate by heating after laser exposure and before development, followed by flood UV exposure and development. In this patent numerous anions and cations are disclosed. The anions include hexafluorophosphate, perfluoroalkylsulfonium, CF3COO−, SbF6− and BF4−.

The technical proposals of both of these patents also suffer from a problem related to stability, that is: after a coating has been prepared and is promptly exposed, it requires an amount of exposure energy of X mJ/cm2 to achieve best results, but after 1 week of standing it requires Y mJ/cm2 where Y is a number greater than X.

The value of Y is affected by almost every component that is included in a phenolic resin formulation and by every process used to prepare the lithographic printing form precursor. This gives the printer an almost impossible task in setting up for a print run; essentially when Y is significantly greater than X the technical proposals of both of these patents are commercially impractical.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,461,795 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,706,466 acknowledge this stability issue and describe a process for overcoming it by subjecting the coated precursor to a mild heat treatment of between 40 and 90° C. for at least 4 hours.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,699 discloses that onium compounds could be utilised for creating a positive or negative working printing plate with UV or IR radiation. In this case the positively exposed plate can be utilised directly or is subjected to a substantial heating process prior to development which causes a cross-linking of the exposed areas brought about by the generation of acid from an onium latent Bronsted acid which is present along with a resole resin. That is, the process is negative overall. The constraint of relative developer solubility pre- and post-exposure compared to energy demand exists in these systems too and in the positive version, stability is also an issue.

To counter the problems of processing contrast, pre- to post-exposure, and energy demand, EP 1024963A employs a silicone polymer as a coating solution component and proposes that this migrates to the surface of the coating as it dries. It is believed that, since the silicone' repels aqueous solutions the unexposed portions of the coating have enhanced resistance to developer fluids. In the regions where the coating has been heated, the surface becomes disrupted and a developer fluid can quickly break through to the bulk of the exposed regions of the coating. This allows either a lower energy demand coating to be formulated, which has similar developer properties to a reference without the silicone polymer, or the same energy demand with better developer resistance characteristics. A problem with this technology, however, is that at the high levels (3-6%) disclosed for the silicone polymer loading in the liquid composition the silicone polymers have an instability effect in such coatings. In this context it should be noted that silicones in polymeric coatings (employed for example as aids to levelling and film cosmetic appearance generally (U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,227)) are normally employed in amounts of substantially less than 1%. At the 3-6% level of EP 1024963A incompatibility results in inhomogeneity in the dried coating with the associated presence of white sports, or coating voids, due, we believe, to areas which are underprotected as a result of the asymmetric distribution of the silicone polymer.

Another solution proposed having regard to the contrast and energy demand issue is the employment of two or more layers making up the coating, especially of different compositions. Here, an under-layer, next to or near to the substrate, should be of higher developer solubility than an over-layer, for example a surface or outer layer, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,353 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,812. In, such embodiments, when the coating is positively exposed the whole coating in the unexposed areas has a low dissolution rate whilst in the exposed areas it develops at a typical rate. Once the imaged over-layer has been dissolved away, the under-layer, which has a very high dissolution rate in developer, dissolves very quickly. In total, the exposed area has developed much faster than the unexposed regions and the processing contrast for the same energy is improved. There are, however, some significant cost problems (capital and revenue) with this approach. One is the need for two coating, drying and inspecting machines; another is the increased handling needed, leading to increased labour costs. Another problem is a higher level of coating quality faults. Coating quality faults are inevitable in any coating operation. If, for example, the scrap generated from a single coating is 3% (a typical value), a two layer system is expected to increase the scrap generated to about 6%. Further, these systems based on positive phenolic/novolac coatings remain are not adequately stable over time.

In summary, there is a need for a radiation sensitive composition which, when coated onto a substrate to form, a lithographic printing form precursor, has regions which when exposed to imaging energy have a very high rate of developer solubility whilst having high developer resistance in regions which are not exposed to imaging energy; without compromising—that is, significantly increasing—the practical exposure energy required (in other words without reducing the “speed” of the printing form precursor). A primary aim is to improve “single layer” coatings. However, the improvement of coatings formed of two or more layers is not excluded.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a composition comprising a polymer which contains hydroxyl groups, the composition being suitable as a coating for an IR-imagable lithographic precursor, the composition comprising one or more agent(s) which:

a) absorbs IR radiation of wavelength greater than 800 nm and consequently generates heat;
b) functions as an insolubiliser which inhibits dissolution of non-imaged regions of the coating in a developer but permits dissolution of imaged regions during development; and
c) improves the inhibition to dissolution of the non-imaged regions and/or the dissolution of the imaged regions so as to improve the dissolution contrast ratio (DCR) of the non-imaged/imaged regions; wherein the agent which performs function c) comprises a moiety which has ionic, and, preferably, hydrophobic character.

In a preferred composition of the first aspect the agent which functions as an insolubiliser does not decompose on absorption of the IR radiation. Preferably such an agent which functions as an insolubiliser which does not decompose on absorption of the IR radiation regains its insolubilisation effect with time, after irradiation has caused its insolubilisation effect to be lost.

The hydroxyl groups may include hydroxyl groups carried directly on the backbone of the respective polymer; Alternatively or additionally, the hydroxyl groups may include hydroxyl groups which are part of a larger pendant group, for example a carboxylic acid group (—COOH) or its salts, or a sulphonic acid group (—SO3H), or an alcohol (—CH2OH) or a mixture thereof.

Preferably the polymer is soluble or dispersible in water or aqueous solutions after imaging, the solution having a pH in excess of 5, preferably in excess of 7, and, most preferably in excess of 8.5.

The polymer is suitably a phenolic polymer, for example a resole or a novolac resin; or a polyvinylphenol (e.g. a homo- or heteropolymer of hydroxystyrene). Most preferably it is a novolac resin.

The agent(s) which perform(s) functions a), b) and c) may be individual compounds or two or three such functions may be performed by one compound. Thus one compound may perform functions a) and b); or one compound may perform functions a) and c); or one compound may perform functions b) and c). Or one compound may perform functions a), b), and c).

The agents which perform functions a), b) and c) may be individual compounds or may be carried as dissociable pendant groups by the polymer. In principle the agents performing functions a), b) and c) could all be carried by the polymer.

Preferably the imagable lithographic precursor is a precursor for a printing form, mask used in printing, or electronic part.

We have found that by use of an agent performing the function c), to improve the DCR, we obtain excellent selectivity as regards dissolution rates in developer, as between the imaged and non-imaged areas, whilst the energy needed to achieve this differentiation (or “operating speed”) is not substantially compromised.

Preferably imaging is carried out using a liquid developer but processless operation is in principle possible (for example on-press in the case of a printing form).

Preferably the composition is positive working. Thus, in such embodiments we obtain excellent selectivity as regards dissolution rates in developer, as between the imaged, soluble, areas and non-imaged, developer resistant areas (insolubilising effect being lost on imaging); whilst the energy needed to achieve this differentiation is not compromised).

Preferred compositions of the invention form coatings which may be handled without damage under ordinary indoor lighting conditions, including when ambient natural light is transmitted indoors through windows and under standard white room lighting. Preferably UV safelighting is not needed.

A desirable additional component of the composition of the first aspect is cellulose acetophthalate (CAHPh). CAHPh is particularly useful at rendering such compositions resistant to solvents used in printing thereby increasing the run length capability of said coatings in the presence of solvents (including aggressive solvents). CAHPh is a desirable addition to prior compositions that employ siloxanes to help developer resistance properties but only at a modest level, because of physical incompatibility between siloxanes and CAHPh. In the compositions of the present invention siloxanes are preferably not present. In such embodiments CAHPh can be added at higher level, for example 2-10% wt/wt, preferably 3-8%.

Preferred classes of agents will now be described.

In general the hydrophobic property may come from the cation, or from the anion, or from both.

Preferably the agent comprises an onium cation or a carbocation. Examples of onium cations include a carbonium, ammonium, diazonium, sulphonium, sulphoxonium, phosphonium or iodonium cation. An example of a carbocation is a carbenium cation. Carbenium, ammonium, iodonium and, especially, phosphonium cations are preferred. The onium or carbocation moiety may be pendent from the polymer but is preferably in the form of one or more individual compound(s).

The onium or carbocation moiety may have alkyl or aryl functional groups attached to the inorganic centre (or carbon centre in the case of the carbonium ion).

The onium cation preferably performs the insolubilisation function b) above. It is ionic and may be hydrophobic, and also perform function c) above. In such an embodiment it preferably has at least one of the following hydrophobic-promoting means:
at least one hydrophobic alkyl group (preferably at least two or at least three or at least four such groups) having at least 6 carbon atoms; preferably 6-24 carbon atoms, especially 8-16 carbon atoms;
at least one hydrophobic fluoroalkyl group (preferably at least two or at least three or least four such groups) having at least 1 carbon atom; preferably at least 2, preferably 1-12, most preferably 2-8; the or each fluoroalkyl group preferably being a perfluoroalkyl group;
at least one hydrophobic silicon-containing group, for example a silyl group of formula SinR2n+1− where each R is independently a hydrogen or a C1-4 alkyl group and n is a number from 1 to 8; and
at least one aryl, especially phenyl, group (preferably at least two or at least three or at least four aryl groups) which is optionally substituted by at least 1, 2 or 3 hydrophobic moieties selected from an alkyl group having up to 24 carbon atoms, optionally a hydrophobic alkyl group (as just defined), a fluorine atom, a hydrophobic fluoroalkyl group (as just defined) and a hydrophobic silicon-containing group (as just defined).

A preferred phosphonium cation may have the following formula:

where:
n represents 0 or an integer in the range 1-5;
R1 represents an hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom or a C1-24 alkyl group or a C1-12 fluoroalkyl group; and where there is more than one group R1 they may be the same or different;
m represents 0 or an integer in the range 1-5;
R2 represents an hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom or a C1-24 alkyl group or a C1-12 fluoroalkyl group; and where there is more than one group R2 they may be the same or different;
p represents 0 or an integer in the range 1-5;
R3 represents an hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom or a C1-24 alkyl group or a C3-12 fluoroalkyl group; and where there is more than one group R3 they may be the same or different;
q is an integer of between 1 and 4;
s represents 0 or an integer in the range 1-5; and
R4 represents a hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom or a C1-24 alkyl group or a C1-12 fluoroalkyl group; and where there is more than one group R4 they may be the same or different.

In a preferred embodiment n is 5 and each R1 is hydrogen; or each R1 is fluorine; or each R1 is trifluoromethyl.

In a preferred embodiment n is 5 and each R2 is hydrogen; or each R2 is fluorine; or each R2 is trifluoromethyl.

In a preferred embodiment n is 5 and each R3 is hydrogen; or each R3 is fluorine; or each R3 is trifluoromethyl.

In a preferred embodiment n, m and p are all 5 and each R1, R2 and R3 is hydrogen.

In another preferred embodiment n, m and p are all 5 and each R1, R2 and R3 is fluorine.

In another preferred embodiment n, m and p are all 5 and each R1, R2 and R3 is trifluoromethyl.

In a preferred embodiment n is 1 and R1 is a perfluoro C4-8 alkyl group, preferably perfluoroheptyl, preferably carried at the para position relative to the P+ atom.

In a preferred embodiment m is 1 and R2 is a perfluoro C4-8 alkyl group, preferably perfluoroheptyl, preferably carried at the para position.

In a preferred embodiment p is 1 and R3 is a perfluoro C4-8 alkyl group, preferably perfluoroheptyl, preferably carried at the para position.

In a preferred embodiment n, m and p are all 1 and R1, R2 and R3 are all perfluoro C4-8 alkyl, and preferably all perfluoroheptyl; the respective fluoroalkyl groups preferably being carried at the para positions.

Preferably R4 is a fluorine atom, a C1-24alkyl group or C1-12 fluoroalkyl group. Preferably s is 1, 2 or 3.

Especially preferred R4 are fluorine and trifluoromethyl. In an especially preferred embodiment, s is 1 and R4 is trifluoromethyl, with the substituent at the para-position.
Suitably q is an integer from 1 to 4; especially 1.

You can also Monitor Keywords and Search for tracking patents relating to this Composition,article, its manufacture and use patent application.
###

How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREEservice from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Composition,article, its manufacture and use or other areas of interest.###

Data source: patent applications published in the public domain by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Information published here is for research/educational purposes only. FreshPatents is not affiliated with the USPTO, assignee companies, inventors, law firms or other assignees. Patent applications, documents and images may contain trademarks of the respective companies/authors. FreshPatents is not responsible for the accuracy, validity or otherwise contents of these public document patent application filings. When possible a complete PDF is provided, however, in some cases the presented document/images is an abstract or sampling of the full patent application for display purposes. FreshPatents.com Terms/Support -g2-0.2331